Bilateral trade between Sharjah and China is expanding fast

SAIF Zone aims to grab a larger share of trade with China

SHARJAH - (19/5/2015) 'Sharjah Airport International Free Zone (SAIF Zone) aims to grab a larger share of trade with China and to attract more multinationals in the F&B sector to the SAIF Zone' said Saud Salim Al Mazrouei, director of Sharjah Airport International Free Zone (SAIF Zone) and Hamriyah Free Zone Authority (HFZA) on the sidelines of SIAL 2015 exhibition that concluded recently at New International Expo Centre in Shanghai.

“Our participation in SIAL 2015 Fair- Asia’s mega food & beverage exhibition- was aimed to strengthen our efforts to attract international investment to the SAIF Zone,” he elaborated.

Statistics point out that bilateral trade between Sharjah and China is expanding fast, and  it was expected to cross US$5 billion in 2014.

“The trade and investment links between China and Sharjah have  grown considerably and the emirate has been a facilitator of trade between the UAE and China,” Al Mazrouei said.

China is a global leader in agricultural production and Al Mazrouei invited F& B enterprises to benefit from the exposure provided by the SAIF Zone, which is an ideal hub for food import and export.

He said China is a very crucial trade partner for Sharjah as both sides achieved a growth rate of 10% last year in bilateral trade.

' As China is aiming to more than double its trade volumes with the region in the coming decade, SAIF Zone will be a good option for them. Moreover, we are going to add another 3 million square meter area with the existing area of 6.1 million square meters of industrial and commercial land.” he further added.

 “Our team portrayed Saif Zone and its advantages to 2,734 exhibitors from 82 countries and 55,000 visitors from 110 countries. The event provided  an engaging platform where our team highlighted  the enormous growth opportunities that the SAIF Zone provides.'

Currently there are over 100 companies  specialized in F&B in SAIF Zone. Over the past ten years the free zone has achieved record growth rates and excelled at the local and global level. SAIF Zone houses 6800 companies from across 149 nations, welcoming foreign investment from more than 500 industries.